This will be a top notch technically oriented event, organized by Progress users for Progress users. If you can only do one thing this year, attending PUG Challenge should be at the top of your list.— Michael LonskiPUG Central (DC, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina

We are all excited about the upcoming PUG Challenge Americas conference. Everyone is looking forward to reconnecting in person with the outstanding Progress professional Community!— Paul GuggenheimChicago Area PUG

We're very excited about PUG Challenge Americas. Several of our members look forward to attending!— Joseph M. Towns IIIWashington Progress Users Group President

Rich technical content, a blend of old, current and new, a wealth of networking opportunities, options to explore all Progress technologies, along with the support and backing of PSC? It's the 'Perfect Storm!'— Joseph M. Towns IIIWashington Progress Users Group President

It's time to get the band back together... PUG Challenge-Americas!— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

High on technical content, low on marketing fluff and a fine selection of great beers... PUG Challenge-Americas!— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

There is nothing as sweet as sharing a great beer with good friends while tussling over some technical minutia after hours. Reserve your bar stool today.— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

The networking that takes place in the bar and hallways after hours is as much a part of Exchange's legacy as the various keynotes and formal sessions.— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

I am excited that this conference is being held in the Americas!— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

I am anxious to see many of my old friends again and meet plenty of new ones!— Bob BrennanNEPUG President

The time has come ... for a solid Progress technical conference, at an affordable price, and at an affordable hotel. I'll be there to learn, to teach, to network, to share — and not to spend big bucks for all the fancies.— Arthur FinkMaine Progress Users Group

The Progress community has gone too long without a technical face to face conference. The welcome mat is out for PUG Challenge in New England.— Arthur FinkMaine Progress Users Group

NY Metro PUG members are thrilled at having a low cost, in person PUG conference. No virtual conference can do what an in-person conference can do in terms of networking and peer education.— Ed ShellmanNY Metro Progress Users Group

The QAD and Epicor communities are excited about the upcoming PUG Challenge Americas conference. Members of Northern California PUG will definitely be at the conference!— Jag SomalNorthern California PUG

A Few Testimonials

Why attend PUG Challenge?

Rob Willoughby said:

I was a first time attendee last year. I've also done some of the PUGs meetings remotely. It was 1000% better attending in person. Not only do you get to meet lots of folks from the PUGs, but you get lots of PROGRESS employees as well!

The Sunday workshops are fantastic - you get hands on training step-by-step, with the both PROGRESS and non-PROGRESS experts to assist you. Later on in the week, there will be sessions discussing what you just learned by people who've been using it in the real world. If this doesn't get you jazzed about how this applies to your own job, then perhaps nothing ever will.

The pricing for this whole trip was very reasonable. I did have to work our execs a bit to get this trip approved last year. But it was well worth it. It was simply the best work-related experience I've ever had, and I'm glad I was talked into it.

Rob Fitzpatrick said:

To those who can't *get* budget, I say: *make* budget.

It's under $500 for an early-bird ticket and a very reasonable hotel rate. And once you're there you have almost no expenses.

So yes, pay for it yourself, take a three-day vacation, fly, drive or hike to Manchester, and immerse yourself in the best Progress conference there is. Soak up all the session goodness. Network your brains out. Personally, I've paid more money on various personal-development expenses (courses, seminars, books, etc.) and got less out of them than I got from attending PUG Challenge.

And when you get back and implement changes at the office that make you more efficient and valuable and save the company money, be very vocal about how you got this knowledge and that you expect the company to foot the bill next year.

Mike Furgal adds:

I'll chime in my $0.02.

I see enough value in this technical conference that I am bring my entire DBA staff every year. (Editors note: that was back before Progress bought Bravepoint. Mike still brings his whole team -- which is now much larger.) You can get the session presentations on line sometime after the conference, which is in itself very useful, but seeing the presentations live, hearing the questions and interacting with the OpenEdge community is well worth the low admission price.

I go to many conferences annually, mostly as a speaker. This is not like the old Progress conferences where there was always a "messsage" that Progress wants to convey. There is no opening show and glitz. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the Progress shows and the spectacle and buzz it created. These PUG Challenges, both US and EMEA, are excellent as it's all technical content without any glitz or sugar coating and there is no "message" other than it's real world discussions from people who live and breath the technology.

From a value perspective, I see enough value that I am sending myself (as a speaker) and my team. Plus the beer is always flowing and it tends to be pretty good beer, it's one of those details that the PUG pays attention to!

Thomas Mercer-Hursh Ph.D. opines:

... if I was a developer working in a small company whose management was too shortsighted to understand that sending a person to a conference like this provides more educational bang for the buck than can be obtained anywhere else and I was a person who had any aspirations about growing into a better position in the future, I would take vacation time and go on my own.